AFS Foils PURE 700 & 900 2023
Reviews / Hydrofoils
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At A Glance
AFS Advanced is part of Foil & Co., a company known for its expertise in composite products and its commitment to sustainable development. AFS makes 100% carbon foils that are manufactured from A to Z in their factory in Pencran, France. The AFS PURE is no different.
One of the founding pillars of Foil and Co is sustainable development. The company's goal is to reindustrialise in France by controlling the production process from design to shipping. This has allowed Foil and Co to create short circuits and limit their impact on the environment while using sustainable materials. I think this often gets overlooked in the watersports industry, here at Tonic we're really excited to be working with a brand that puts sustainability high on its agenda.
Right, onto the PURE itself. To give you an idea of the aspect ratio of these foils, I recently saw a picture of the PURE next to a Lift HA & an F-ONE Sk8. All three foils looked very similar, you can see why I was excited to get out on the water and ride the PURE. Later, I’ll discuss my experiences on the water however before that I’ll fill you in on the materials, design & pedigree of the foils.
The PURE foils boast a UHM Carbon Kevlar construction, which provide superior strength and stiffness while maintaining a lightweight profile. Its anhedral bell shape and high aspect ratio are designed to create next-level glide, making it suitable for a wide range of disciplines, including freeride, freestyle, wave, speed, race, and prone foiling.
The AFS Pure hydrofoil has already proven its capabilities, having been used to set a world record of 30.05 knots over a 500-meter course. Its monobloc structure and ultra-thin profile are also noteworthy features, contributing to its performance.
This foil comes complete with a full protective cover, which is a nice added bonus. It can be fitted with all the masts in the AFS range, but the Performer or UHM masts are recommended to fully exploit the PURE Foil set's potential.
On The Water
On test this issue I have two of the PURE’s, the 700 & 900. I paired these with the Performer 160 stab, there are however several new HA stabs now available. I used the 78cm Performer mast for prone foiling & the 85cm for winging. Again, AFS has recently bought out an Ultra High Modulus carbon mast, which promises to be even stiffer than this one.
I’ll start with the prone foil sessions, the PURE 900 is on the smaller side of foils that I prone foil, mainly because the waves on the South Coast of the UK lack the power needed for them. I often find that when using a small high-aspect foil I lose the speed necessary to stay on foil. In contrast, the PURE 900 surprised me with its ability to accelerate in weak conditions and get the pump going. Let me tell you, once I had a good rhythm in my pump, the speed as I headed out back for my next wave was unbelievable. Another thing I noticed was that the pump technique felt natural, just keep the mast high and you’re away.
Once out the back, a snappy connection turn and the PURE felt comfortable & controlled to carve the whole length of the wave. I certainly won’t pretend to be brilliant at this yet, however, the PURE made it feel like I was doing it well! It handles breaches without any concern, which just gives you more conference to bank over as hard as you can.
The glide on this foil was outstanding, that’s been proven in videos from the likes of Richard Boudia when downwinding. I hear there’s a chance we’ll get the new PURE HA1100 on test in the near future and I know it will be fantastic for downwinding. In solid downwind conditions, the 900, 700, or new HA800 will excel.
I also took the PURE 700 out winging, if the 900 felt fast when prone foiling then this was just next level. As I’ve mentioned before, speed when winging equals extra pop & height when jumping, with that in mind it was a real joy to jump with the 700. The Performer masts were solid, I always felt controlled when pumping or turning, I imagine the new UHM masts will only add to that, leading to even more efficiency.
While I’m not at the level yet to SUP downwind with these foils, I could flat the wing behind and get a good feeling for it when winging. The glide & efficiency meant that connecting bumps was easy, it felt like long runs would be possible. No doubt I’ll write an update to this test once I progress to them on downwind runs.
Overall
AFS are a big brand in France & the rest of Europe, but are yet to hit the UK & American market in a big way, they’re a brand of the future and one you need to look out for. I have no doubt about that. The quality of all of the kit is next level, they’ve obviously taken the time to get it right and create a product that lasts. If you're serious about foiling & looking for a high-performance foil that can handle any discipline, the AFS PURE is well worth your consideration. Its combination of strength, stiffness, and lightweight construction makes it stand out. I love the idea of owning a foil that is proficient at downwinding, winging & prone, this is certainly that.
This review was in Issue 16 of Tonic Mag.
For more information visit AFS FoilsRelated
By Jack Galloway
